Get Your Green On With These Four St. Patrick's Day Celebrations

Irish folk may not constitute a large percentage of Miami-Dade County residents, but the Magic City doesn't lack in St. Patrick's Day celebrations.

In fact, St. Patty's Day is one of our favorite ethnic holidays, tied for first place with Cinco de Mayo. The fact that you are practically expected to imbibe copious amounts of alcohol on these two holidays may have something to do with their popularity, but who are we to judge? We also wish that green beer was available year-round.

Bougie's, as this trendy spot is called by Kendall and South Miami residents, is hosting its annual Irish State of Mind Party from 4 p.m. Monday until 5 a.m. Tuesday. Lecherous leprechauns can take advantage of happy hour prices until 8 p.m. and $4 green beers all night long. The Rejects will be playing live at 6:30 p.m. with DJs taking over for the rest of the night. If you plan on drinking until sunrise, choose a designated driver or cab company before you start drinking so you get home safely. Visit Bougie's page for more information.

If "Kiss Me I'm Irish" T-shirts make you cringe and you want to celebrate the luck o' the Irish in a more urbane fashion, head over to Books & Books in the Gables. The book nook is hosting a beer garden party in its picturesque courtyard on Monday from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. Enjoy St. Patrick's Day staples such as $6 Guinness, Killian's Irish Red, and Avery White Rascal; plus Irish cuisine; as you snark on sidewalk passerby puking into plastic green bowler hats. Check out the Books & Books site for further details.

We have to admit that Fritz and Franz Bierhaus is going all out, considering that it begins celebrating St. Patrick's Day today and will continue the party straight through Monday. Fritz and Franz will host a beer garden and feature live music from 5 p.m. until closing time each day. If you're also planning on a four-day St. Patrick's celebration, we recommend donning some green suspenders and renting a room at one of the nearby hotels -- specifically, one within walking distance. Visit the Fritz and Franz website for more information.

This event is free in the sense that not a single bar is charging a cover, but for a nominal fee you get a commemorative mug, a map, and a wristband that entitles you to special prices at each and every one. For $10, you can be a VIP (Very Inebriated Person) on Monday, but for $20, you can go green all weekend long, from March 14 through 17. Stumble into Tobacco Road, Batch Gastropub, Blue Martini, and Brother Jimmy's BBQ during your crawl for special deals on liquid courage. Get more details here.